Yesterday I wrote about our snow storm. This is a picture of the street I live on. Today the air was full sounds of people shoveling snow, snow blowers blowing, and snow plows plowing. By the end of the day everyone was able to be independently mobile.
For 24 hours the snow functioned as a barrier preventing people from engaging in their normal routines. Once the storm was over the desire to regain mobility was prevalent. I am reminded of the times that patients have told me they are counting the days until they escape the confinement of their hospital bed. I think I am able to have a higher level of empathy after living through the activities of the last two days.
When you think about the freedoms you enjoy, be thankful. Then move forward making the most of each day.
Just as the National Weather Service warned winter storm Jonah arrived in the Mid-Atlantic living up the high amounts of snow that was predicted. Today I was scheduled to be officiating a Memorial Service, which obviously had to be postponed. I estimate in my yard I am the proud owner of 24 inches of the white snow. I was shocked to see that by basset hound, Cooper, who normally loves snow did not like the snow and refused to walk into it when height of the snow banks towered above him.
Cumberland has literally shut down with only necessary services being open. I assumed that meant Cooper and I would hibernate for the storm duration and whatever amount of time was needed for clearing of the roads.
As a Chaplain we offer Pastoral Care to hospital patients 24/7. With some staff not being able to make it in for their shifts, I am working two shifts this weekend. I hope when I arrive at the hospital that there are no emergencies demanding my attention. Even without an emergency situation I will be engaged in offering affirmation, supportive presence, and prayer to the patients, staff, and visitors that encounter.
I invite you to play it safe and stay home unless there is an essential reason you need to be out in this weather.
Today is another observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the message of equality for everyone that he championed. This observance brings with more significance to me since in the last two years we have seen riots based on racial strife in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD. I thought riots and looting over race issues of inequality were a thing of the past only to see them rise up again.
We need to become a nation of internal peace before we can tell foreign nations that peace is the path they should take. When we champion peace abroad and still have significant strife domestically our message rings hollow. Today I also pray for the lives of people who suffer abuse of any kind in the United States. They deserve better and no one should be complacent until justice and equality exist for everyone!
At our hospital cafeteria I have grown very fond of one of our cashier’s. Her name is Donna and what impresses me about her is her efficiency and her friendliness. Many times she has my meal entered in the register and a total for me to pay before I have my billfold out of my pocket. She greets me in a friendly manner, sometimes even asking how my day is going. When I miss several days in a row, she asks me when I return how I have been doing since she has not seen me.
She has learned a lesson I learned long ago. People remember how you make them feel! Donna makes me feel that she cares and makes me feel welcome. Isn’t that what every customer/client desires from those people they meet? Today, I am going to put special energy into being a “Donna” to everyone I meet. Won’t you join me?
Last night I began to feel increasingly cold while I was inside watching TV and listening to the wind blow outside. Finally I was uncomfortable enough I went to check the thermostat to see what the temperature was. I was shocked to find the heating system power switch in the OFF position. The inside temperature display was 60. I quickly changed the setting to ON!!!!
As I made the change I realized my must have bumped the button with my elbow when I was getting food for Cooper (my pet dog) out of the closet in the hallway. This is the first time this has ever happened. The lesson I learned is to be more careful not to brush against the thermostat inadvertently.
This whole event got me to reflecting as I went to sleep last night about how things we do inadvertently can have serious effects. I am pleased to report that when I woke up this morning the house was warm again. And now my mission for the day is to be mindful of everything I do.
The dog in this picture is not mine. I loved the image when I saw it because the dog is as cuddled up in a warm blanket as I wish I could be all day today. This year our temperatures are on a roller coaster. Today will be 30 degrees cooler then yesterday. I don’t adjust well to these wide variances in temperatures.
For those of you who are like me and have to venture out in the cold to work, I encourage to dress warmly, I know I will! If you don’t have to venture out, take the example of this smart canine to heart and stay inside and cuddle in a warm blanket!
In Sunday School today we focused on the Song of Solomon. One question we wrestled with is, “Does there only exist one soulmate in the world for each person?” Our discussion did not provide a definitive answer to the question. It started us into a conversation of what makes a successful relationship. In the end we agreed relationships taken intentional effort and can’t be taken for granted. A good way to apply the Bible to our daily lives!
One of the most frequent discussions I have with people is when they tell me about how others have caused them spiritual pain through judging them and convincing them they have violated a spiritual law or principle. These conversations allow me to offer empathy and affirmation. The journey of spiritual pain begins when you allow someone else to judge you as being sinful. Often times those who self-appoint themselves as judges wouldn’t stand an intense examination of their own life.
If you are told you are sinful because of whom you are, who God created you to be – find affirmation through conversation with people who do not see it as their task to “fix you”. Unfortunately spirituality has been used to make victims out of people because they are:
Female
Not of an accepted racial background
Sexual orientation
The loving God that I know and serve doesn’t reject people because they represent the diversity of creation. Spiritually sensitive people do not make others feel unworthy. If someone makes you feel unworthy they have an agenda that is not the same as the Creator’s agenda.
I recently moved from a cubicle to a real office. The first thing I did was place a sign on the door with my name and title. That gave people the knowledge of where they could find me. It did not tell them what they would experience as they enter through the door.
I have added a second sign to the door; it reads “WELCOME Experience Grace”. I chose the wording carefully because I did not want to convey that entering my office was an automatic immersion in Scripture, doctrine, or that the agenda they would encounter was my agenda. I wanted those who enter to know that they would be met on their level and that their needs or concerns would be addressed in a way that would be a comfort to them.
People come with a variety of needs and each of them deserves a personalized experience rather than a “cookie cutter” predetermined approach. That is what I offer as a chaplain.
The reason I love it is because show the two dogs sharing the gift of presence in a loving supportive way. It also reminds me of my role as a chaplain. I don’t go around the hospital touching people on the nose as the dog is doing in this picture. I move from place to place in the hospital listening to patients, visitors, and employees share what is on their heart and mind at the moment.
As I listen I respond with:
Empathy
Interest
Affirmation
These responses bring comfort and also start building a relationship that can help support the person on subsequent visits. I find that people are starving for these three responses. I hear accounts of people suffering under the burden of being criticized unfairly, being ignored by those they had previously trusted, and who feel lost in an emotional desert.
What difference do chaplains make? It is hard to measure by a statistical method. I recognize the difference I make as a chaplain by the response I receive from the encounters. People who were not smiling, now smile. People who felt no one cared, now know that at least one person cares, and I am told that a repeat visit is desired.
The picture of these two dogs reminds me of my mission: to bring peace and comfort to those I serve.
